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Why PIANO WIRE are becoming an important band…

I spent some time on the road last week with PIANO WIRE. They are fun and inspiring to hang out with, as ever and, at my age, going on the road a little is quite enough excitement by itself. They’ve always been a great live band. That’s what caught my eye about them in the first place. Obviously. There’s an amazing history behind Andy and Sym with 80s Matchbox and now Sean and Tim have taken that spirit and channelled it into something bold and completely new.

But something has happened. They’ve worked really hard in the last year and have been writing lots and lots and discarding lots of lots and getting better and better. Dragging themselves up by their own bootstraps. The live set has changed at a furious pace.

But something has happened. They don’t just play the songs now. They are locked in battle with them and the energy is furious and ragged and the result is burned right through your eyes and ears and nailed to the inside of your skull. It’s loud. And that’s an essential part of it but that’s not what makes it deafening. It’s a beautiful noise, a righteous fury that channels your attention and shuts out all other sensory input. It’s physical and it’s exciting and the songs pile up, one after another, hook after hook, Andy and Sean firing guitar and vocal melodies at each other. PIANO WIRE command your whole attention and leaves you breathless and spent at the end of the show.

That’s the goal, right?

Here’s a live track shot on iPhone in Scotland last week. It’s called Get A Life Dishonour and it’s badass.

Don’t take my word for it, though. The legendary Steve Gullick (who shot the I’ll Kill You video) and Stevie Chick from Loose Lips wrote this brilliant brilliant piece on the band after witnessing them take strips of London’s Lexington a month or so back.

photo by Steve Gullick

Last friday’s SOLD OUT show at The Social featured DJ sets from Faris and myself.